http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-2631116-ivan-mestrovic4/

Ivan Mestrovic was born in Vrpolje in 1883. After apprenticeship in the stonemason’s workshop of Harold Bilinic in Split, in 1901 he entered the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts where he stayed until 1906. Exhibiting with the artists from the Viennese Secession group he acquired affirmation already during his studies. Since 1908 he worked in Paris in his studio, where he produced a considerable part of the grandly conceived architectural and sculptural piece, Vidovdan Temple. These works were repeatedly exhibited and got the highest award at the World Exhibition in Rome in 1911, where they won the first prize for sculpture. Ivan Mestrovic stayed for four years in Rome studying sculpture of antiquity. He was totally infatuated with Michelangelo, whom he considered the greatest sculptor of all time. During World War I he exhibited in England in 1915, at the Victoria and Albert Museum.Mestrovic's dream of a Yugoslavia united and strengthened against outside forces, was shattered in 1941 when Germany invaded. In the following years the artist resisted both Fascism and Communism and is remembered as a hero of Croatian nationalism. After the war, he came to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, where he became a professor and later director of the Cultural Institute in Zagreb. After the Second World War, Ivan Mestrovic left for the United States. Since 1946 he worked as a professor at Syracuse University and later became a professor at the University of Notre Dame. He died in South Bend, Indiana, in 1962.He never again lived in Croatia as he refused to live under Communism. However, in accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the The Most Holy Redeemer church he had built in Otavice. Moreover, he bequeathed his homes and studios in Zagreb and Split as well the chapel in Otavice to the Croatian people, together with the majority of his sculpture. The bequest now forms the Ivan Mestrovic Museums in Croatia.

Petar II Petrović-Njegoš (1813 – 1851), commonly referred to simply as Njegoš, was a Prince-Bishop (vladika) of Montenegro, poet and philosopher whose works are widely considered some of the most important in Montenegrin and Serbian literature.In 1952, Yugoslavia's communist authorities decided to replace Njegoš's chapel with a secular mausoleum designed by Ivan Meštrović

Njegoš mausoleum on Mount Lovćen in Montenegro

The Mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic Njegos was erected according to the project of the sculptor and architect Ivan Mestrovic on the spot where Njegos during his life, ca. 1845 had his small church-chapel built wishing to be buried in there. The mausoleum was built on the chapel's place

The Caryatids outside represent two Montenegrine women (each 7.5 tones of weight), almost four and half meters tall

The Statue of Njegos in the Chapel on Mount Lovcen stands nearly four meters tall and it is carved from a single block of dark-green granite (28 tones weight)

Mestrovic suggested the idea of such a monument in 1924, but it was only in 1952 when he started the realization of the Njegos project (at that time he already was permanently residing in the USA)

Because of political and economical difficulties the building of the Mausoleum started in 1969, 7 years after the death of the sculptor and it was completed in 1974

Monument to Petar Hektorović (1487 – 1572) in Hvar Study for the Figure of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, inter-war period

The Spring of the Life (Vrelo Zivota) - Drnis

The fountain The Spring of Life, from 1906, today can be seen in the Drniš town’s park next to Drniš main square, Poljana. The spring of life is Meštrović’s early work, made by 23 year old artist, carved by himself in just ten months

The spring is symbolised by mothers breast and its quality is in extremely well shaped figures and simple, yet powerful architecture. The critics said that it shows the artists leaving trend influence and impressionist view, returning to source of life after having own spiritual crises. The statute was ordered by Karl Wittgenstein, Viennese industrialist and Meštrović Maecenas, showing his great credence towards young artist. The money from this commission permitted Mestrovic and his young wife to discover Italy and Paris, Michelangelo and the Louvre

In 1957 it was offered on auction and the same year, concerned about his early work, Meštrović bought it himself and gave it to the Town of Drniš.

Apart from The Spring of Life, near the town square is also Meštrović relief The Ploughmen. Mother and Child statue is placed in front of the health centre in Drniš, and on the main altar of the Parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary one can see Meštrović’s Our Lady of Petrovo polje. His other numerous works which he donated to Drniš can be seen in the Municipal Museum Drniš

Until 1957 this fountain was placed in the

vestibule of the Wittgenstein

palace in Vienna.

Although the palace was

bombed during the World War II, the statute

was not damaged

Mother and Child statue is placed in front of the health centre in Drniš

The Ploughmen

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Memorial Plaque to Mark Jukic

SisterMunicipal Museum Drniš

Woman with wings Municipal Museum Drniš

Crazy Mile Municipal Museum Drniš

Sketch for a monument in Rome Municipal Museum Drniš

Old manMunicipal Museum Drniš Christ and the Samaritan Woman Municipal Museum Drniš

Musicians (playing gajde) - a sculpture and a painting by Ivan Mestrovic in Drnis Museum

Vrpolje Memorial Gallery Ivan Mestrovic

The Ivan Meštrović Memorial Gallery created in 1973 in Vrpolje, his birthplace, with 35 works in bronze and plaster stone

Woman kneeling, Rome, 1915Mestrovic Memorial Gallery in Vrploje

Prince Marko on his horse Sharac

1910

Zagreb The Mestrovic Atelier Mestrovic Memorial Gallery in Vrploje

Ufanje (Hope) 1925 Vrpolje Memorial Gallery Ivan Mestrovic

Exhibition held in Mestrovic's memorial galleryVrpolje

Exhibition held in Mestrovic's

memorial galleryVrpolje

Memorial Gallery Ivan Mestrovic, Vrpolje Ivan Mestrovic by Frano Krsinic (1897–1982)

Domagoj Archers (Domagojevi strijelci) Stone relief

Andrija Kačić Miošić (1707-1760), Brist Za

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A patinated bronze model of a maiden

Girl portrait (auction 2012) Portrait of Tomislav Krizman, 1904 Glyptoteca Zagreb

Marble Torso of

a Woman,

1940

Mestrovic Palace in

Split

Girl with a Lute 1918

Modern Gallery of Art

in Zagreb

Madonna with Child

Mestrovic

Atelier Zagreb

Madonna with Child

Mestrovic Atelier Zagreb

Madonna with ChildCannes, 1917

walnut

Wood carvings Ecce homo 1913 Mestrovic gallery,

Split

Wood carvings Ecce homo 1913 Mestrovic gallery,

Split

Monument to Marko Marulic (1450-1524) in Split

Salomethe Artist of my People, 1905

Ceiling Atelier Mestrovic Zagreb

Mestrovic Exhibition Zadar

Mother and Child carved in wood 1942; unfinished

2013 Exhibition in Zadar organized on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Meštrović

Olga Mestrovic Feeding Tvrtko, Zagreb, 1925

2013 Exhibition in Zadar organized on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Meštrović

History of Croatians

Mother and child 1904 Museum of Fine Arts in Osijek 2013 Exhibition in Zadar organized on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Meštrović

Mother and child 1904 Museum of Fine Arts in Osijek

Mother and childMother Teaching a Child to Pray, New York, 1925

2013 Exhibition in Zadar organized on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Meštrović

Marble relief Mother pledging her child, Zagreb, 1927

2013 Exhibition in Zadar organized on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Meštrović

Marble relief Mother consecrating her child, Zagreb, 1927

Mother consecrating her child, Zagreb, 1927

Widow - Academy of Fine Arts in

Zagreb

Text and pictures: Internet Copyright: All the images belong to their authors.

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasandahttp://www.authorstream.com/sandamichaela/

Sound: Klapa Sinj - Mirno spavaj ru o mojaž

For more about the artist please click on images